2009 UDALL FELLOWS ANNOUNCED
Posted: 5/15/2009
Terrence L. Bracy, Chairman of the Board of the Morris K. Udall Foundation, has announced that two Ph.D. candidates have been selected as 2009 Udall Dissertation Fellows. The Fellows were selected by an independent review committee of environmental scholars and professionals.
The Udall Dissertation Fellowship is awarded to outstanding doctoral candidates who have achieved distinction in their scholarly research and who are entering the final year of writing the dissertation. The dissertation topic must be significant and relevant to national environmental public policy and/or environmental conflict resolution. The award covers both academic and living expenses up to $24,000 for the year.
The Morris K. Udall Scholarship and Excellence in National Environmental Policy Foundation was authorized by Congress in 1992 to honor Congressman Udall's legacy of public service. The Foundation is supported by a trust fund in the U.S. Treasury and contributions from the private sector. There have been 26 Udall Fellows since the first awards in 1997.
Congressman Udall served in the House of Representatives for three decades, a career distinguished by civility, integrity and consensus. His love for the environment resulted in numerous pieces of legislation, chief among them the Alaska Lands Act of 1980, which doubled the size of the national park system and tripled our national wilderness. Congressman Udall also championed the rights of Native Americans and Alaska Natives, using his leadership in Congress to strengthen tribal self-governance.
The 2009 Udall Fellows are:
Michael Kiparsky
Energy and Resources Group
University of California, Berkeley
Michael Kiparsky has an overarching interest in the interface between science and water policy. He works on technical and policy research questions, and on integrating the two. The focus of his dissertation is to quantify risks to water supply and instream flows in California's Central Valley. To do so, he is developing a policy-analysis tool to integrate the hydrologic impacts of climate change (geophysical modeling) with the consequences of those impacts to decision-makers (economic risk analysis). In addition to his technical work, Michael has conducted research on policy topics including collaborative policymaking, adaptive management, and integrating climate change into water management. Michael has worked for water organizations including the CALFED Science Program and the Pacific Institute. He holds an M.S. from ERG and an A.B. in biology from Brown University.
Melanie Stansbury
Department of Development Sociology
Cornell University
Melanie Stansbury has always had a passion for water and social justice issues. Her research examines the history, community impacts, and conflict resolution strategies involved in one of the oldest water rights struggles in the U.S. This case, known as the State of New Mexico v. Aamodt, involves four Pueblo nations and thousands of residents of the Nambe-Pojoaque-Tesuque Basin in Santa Fe County. Melanie has a B.A. in human ecology and natural science from Saint Mary's College. She has worked in the fields of environmental education, law, landscaping, and community development. She plans to continue her lifelong dedication to water policy, management, and conflict resolution in support of sustainable community development.
For more information on the dissertation fellowship, a list of previous fellowship recipients, and more information on the Foundation and related programs please visit: www.udall.gov or contact Jane Curlin at (520) 901-8565 or curlin@udall.gov.
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